Railway grade-crossing.



C. M. WINTER.

RAILWAY GRADE CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1917- Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

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RAILWAY GRADE CROSSING. APPLICATlbN FILED FEB. a. 19:1.

1 ,279,062. Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

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CHARLES M. WINTER, OF FOND DU LAG, WISCONSIN.

RAILWAY GRADE-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1?,1918.

Application filed February 5, 1917. Serial No. 146,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. WINTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Fond du Lac, county of Fond du Lac, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Grade-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a railway grade crossing and particularly to a crossing employing guard rails in combination with the track rails and the portion between the guard rails being filled with a series of blocks providing a smooth and durable wearing surface, substantially flush with the tops of the rails, andhaving a key adapted to 1 provide a cover for the edges of the blocks to prevent wear and also to serve as a retaining means for the outer ends of the blocks and bolts for tying the blocks and key to the blocks and guard rails.

Other objects will be apparent to those Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the block members used between the guard rails.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of an approach block, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the usual ties are indicated by 10, the track rails by 11 and guard rails 12, the track and guard rails resting on the ties 10. I prefer to mount the guard rails 12 in spaced relation to the track rails 11 and to maintain such spaced relation by means of spacers or sleeves 13 placed therebetween' which are substantially cylindrical in form and provided with a central aperture through which the tie rods 14 may extend; also it is desired to fasten the metal sections comprising the crossing together in a unitary structure. This I accomplish by means of tie rods 14 extending through the track and guard rails 11 and 12 and t ing the whole structure together, which wil be more fully explained later. Whenever it is desirable to change the distance between the track rail and its guard rail this may be accomplished by cutting off a portion of the flange of the guard rail next to the flange of the track rail and of course shortening the spacers 13.

It is a well known fact that whenever a train passes along 'a railroad track the track gives to a certain extent. Occasionally frost acts to move the road bed and the ties and tracks thereon. To provide a crossing which will be substantially solid and also sufiiciently flexible to accommodate itself to the vibration of the passing train, it is necessary to make the filler portion yielding.

The preferred form of my invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a plurality of blocks 15 made of concrete or similar material adapted to lie between the guard rails 12. The ends of the blocks 15 which abut the guard rails 12 are provided with faces 16 having the proper contour to conform to the contour of the sides of the rails against which they are placed. To allow for flexibility of the crossing and also for purposes of replacement I prefer to make the blocks 15 so that when their shaped inner ends 16 are in "abutment with the guard rails their outer ends l6 will be spaced apart. To

vactas a wedge between the blocks 15 and also as a cover to such space and furthermore as a tie means I employ a T-bar or key 20 having a flat top portion 20 and a downwardly extending web 21. To accommodate the top portion 20 of the key the top edges of the blocks 15 are recessed at .19 so that when the bar-or key 20 is in position its .top 20 will be flush with the tops of the blocks 15. The web member 21 is provided with apertures 22 through which the tie rods 14 may pass. To permit the insertion of the tie rods 14 through the blocks 15 and the bar 20, the blocks are provided with recesses 23 in their side edges and the bar 20 with apertures 22 in the web thereof which apertures are so positioned as to register with the recesses 23 in the blocks 15 and the apertures unitary crossing member provided with the proper amount of flexibility to accommodate the motion imparted to the trackby the passing train and also ease of replacement and repair.

In order to make as smooth an approach to the track rails as provided by the filled inner portion it may be desirable to grade the roadway up to the track rails 11. On the other hand, it may be preferable to employ concrete blocks similar to the filler blocks 15 as approach blocks. Figs. 3 and 5 show such blocks as may be employed if desired and Figs. 1 and 2 show such blocks as applied. Block 28 is substantially rectangular having one end provided with proper recesses and tongues 16 for abutting faced road as the thickness of the block 28 may be made to conform to the surface of the road and to the surface formed by the crossing members 15.

When it is desired to grade up to a dirt road, I have found that a block 26 such as that shown in Fig. 5 gives excellent results. This block is substantially wedge shaped in vertical section, the wide end being provided with the proper recesses and tongues 16 for abutment against the sides of the rails the narrower end of the preferred form being provided with a Z-bar 27 one leg of which is fastened to the block 26 and the other being adapted to be bolted to the ties 10'for holding the block in position against the track rail 11, then the dirt road 24 may be graded over said block and a smooth approach assured by such an arrangement.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a crossing comprising four block 15 and two each of blocks 28 and 26. It is understood however, that I do not limit my invention to the exact number and arrangement of block shown as of course, sizes and shapes may be varied to suit the width of the highway crossing and also the particular contour of the railway track at the place where the highway crosses the same. consists particularly in providing a plurality of-removable members for application betweeen the guard rails 12 Which rest directly on the ties 10 and which are tied to the track and guard rails in a suitable manner.

Another feature of my invention lies in the fact that it is possible to construct blocks for use in my highway crossing at the place where they are to be applied in a manner similar to the following.

For providing a form the guard rails may be spaced apart at the proper distance on any flat surface and boards or members of other material may be used to define the sides of My invention the crossing members and define the outlines of the blocks 15 and the tie rods 14 inserted at the proper places. lVhen such members are in place the concrete which may be mixed on the spot is then poured into such forms and allowed to. set. In this way the proper recesses and tongues for embodying the sides of the guard rails 12 are formed and also the recesses 23 in blocks are made. Approach blocks 26 and 28 may be made in a similar manner.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form, shape and arrangement shown as I realize that such is possible of modification, and such modifications I consider as coming within the spirit of my invention;

' I claim:

1. In a railway crossing, the combination of ties, track and guard rails, the guard rails being in spaced relation to said track rails, tie rods connecting said track and guard rails, and serving to hold the several parts in a substantially unitary structure, and a filler comprising a plurality of removable members interfitted within the space defined by the guard rails.

2. In a railroad crossing the combination of ties, track and guard rails, the guard rails being maintained in spacedrelation to said track rails, tie rods connecting said track and guard rails, spacers between the track and guard rails embracing said tie rods whereby to maintain said guard rails in space relation to the track rails, and a substantially flexible filler occupying the space defined by the guard rails and resting on the ties, substantially 'as described.

3. In a crossing of the class described, the combination of ties, track and guard rails,

the guard rails being maintained in spaced relation to said track rails, spacers between the track and guard rails whereby to maintain same in spaced relation, a filler occupying the space defined by said guard rails, said filler comprising a plurality of members adapted at one end to engage and conform to the sides of said guard rails and at the other to lie in spaced relation when in position, a key adapted to occupy the space 4 defined by the outer ends of said fillers and means cooperating with said rails and fillers to retain said key and fillers in position, subtantially as described.

4. In a crossing of the class described, the combination of ties, track and guard rails, the guard rails being maintained in spaced relation to said track rails, spacers between said track and guard rails whereby to maintain same in spaced relation, a filler oocup ing the space defined by the guard rail s, said filler comprising several members adapted at one end to conform to the contour of the side of the rail and to abut the same and at the other end provided with a substantially fiat or even surface, and when in 130 position to lie spaced apart, the upper outer. substantially unitary structure, substantially edges of said filler members being provided as described. 10 with recesses extending transversely of said Signed at Fond du Lac, State of Wisconblock, a key having a flange adapted to exin, thi 26th day of J any., A. D. 1917.

5 tend between said spaced blocks and a head C. M. WINTER.

to overlie the edges of said blocks, and bolt Witnesses: adapted to extend through the several mem- GEO. BUGHNER,

bers whereby to hold the several parts in a NEIL MCCALLUM. 

